This invention relates to an engine valve actuating system and more particularly to an improved arrangement for achieving variable valve actuation (timing and/or lift0 in the operation of an engine valve.
As is well-known, many factors in an internal combustion engine represent a design compromise. Generally, the compromise is between achieving good low-speed performance and economy and high output and high power. There has been proposed a wide variety of devices, however, so as to permit the engine characteristics to be adjusted during its running, so as to obtain improved performance across the entire speed and load range. One of these features is variable valve actuation which includes both changing the valve timing and/or the valve lift. Obviously, these present substantial challenges to the engineer considering that the adjustment must be made when the engine is running.
A wide variety of mechanisms have been proposed for achieving either or both of the variable valve timing and variable valve lift. For the most part, however, they are fairly complex and add significantly to the complexity of the valve train.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved variable valve actuating mechanism that is relatively simple in construction and which lends itself to incorporation in multi-valve engines.
It is still further object of this invention to provide an improved valve operating mechanism for an engine that can achieve variable valve operation during engine running.